The invention concerns an apparatus for destroying unwanted vegetation in the region of travel ways, in particular on track beds, with a vehicle, in particular a railway vehicle, on which is mounted a steam generating unit to the steam output of which are connected steam nozzles which form at least one nozzle bar which extends transversely to the direction of travel essentially across the width of the travel way and which is mounted beneath the bogie of the vehicle by means of a support of adjustable height, wherein there are further provided lateral support portions pivotable about a shaft extending in the direction of travel, with nozzle bar sections which extend in extension of the nozzle bar.
Up to now, unwanted vegetation e.g. on track beds is usually destroyed with chemicals. The increasing environmental awareness results in increased sensitization to chemical agents of destruction, because even so-called "environmentally friendly" agents not only remove the vegetation, but also seriously disturb the biological equilibrium of the soil and contaminate the groundwater.
It is already known from U.S. Pat. No. 1,238,861 that a steam locomotive can be fitted on the underside of its bogie with a support of adjustable height spanning the track, for steam-conducting pipes from which steam can be sprayed through nozzles onto the ballast bed. The support extending in the longitudinal direction of the bogie is adjustable in height and is provided outside of the rails with two hinged lateral portions which also carry steam pipes and which sweep over the lateral sections of the ballast bed. The known design is structurally relatively elaborate owing to the plurality of steam nozzle pipes which are distributed over the whole area of the support, and has poor performance due to the relatively unhindered exit of steam in all directions.
DE-A-3639705 discloses a steam generating unit capable of traveling on a flat-bed truck for destroying weeds, in which the steam-spraying unit, a reflector of parabolic cross-section is provided. The reflector has, at its center, a spray pipe and is connected, by a hose, to a carriage provided with wheels or skids for moving over the ground.
The invention aims to provide an apparatus of the kind indicated hereinbefore which offers excellent environmental compatibility with efficient destructive action by using steam, i.e. it neither pollutes the groundwater nor disturbs the biological equilibrium of the soil, and which owing to improved design compared with the known construction ensures more efficient and more economical treatment even of long travel ways.